Here is a great video from fellow Neil, Neil deGrasse Tyson.
For those who didn't watch the video, he states Bill Gates net worth is $50B. He makes a point that an average person like himself wouldn't probably pick up a penny (1c), a nickel (5c), possibly a dime (10c), but most likely a quarter (25c) would be most people's minimum. If you scale it up to Bill Gates' net worth, the equivalent would be $45,000. It's a nonsense equation but quite entertaining.
Apparently one bad experience with bending over is enough to warrant never doing it again
Well that all depends on whether you mean bad in a good way or not.
Bending over never ends up well… oops dropped the soap!
I like the way you leached off someone's joke without adding to it, save for an antiquated cliche divorced from reality.
It's not such a big deal, is it? I'm just happy to see lighthearted comments.
There's been a 20c coin at my front door step for months now. At least I know it's there if I need it :)
I'd pick up 1 c.
PS - Neil, "¢" is American. In Australia we just use "c".
what's your address?
I was thinking that, as well as wondering if there is enuff stock before it get ozbargained.
On the gold coast years ago, I fell for a gold coin stuck to the footpath in front of a pub. It was great entertainment for those inside. Never again.
Always kick it first
Although, can you imagine how many ozbargainers would turn around once they hear that?
A mate of mine once fell for this trick, he just went to his car boot & grabbed a screwdriver & popped it off in front of the guys. They were spewing, but nothing they could do coz he could fight like a bag of wildcats! ;)
Also he had a screw driver :)
They could've easily made one. Orange juice and vodka.
Lucky it wasn't on the wall, would've needed Galliano too…
There is a bar at Goulburn st and George St (Scruffy Murphy's Hotel) and they have few $1 coins stuck on the footpath. Anyone with screw driver can try that
A mate and I welded 50c to a bolt and drilled a hole through a paver from the footpath in front of my house. Then screwed a nut on the other side and welded it up.
Have had heaps of people try and pick it up and fail and if some smart ass tries your mates trick they will end up looking like a fool too.
Only way to remove the coin would be to steal the paver too or split the paver in half.
A true ozbargainer would have bought a hammer and chisel from Kmart, removed the said gold coin, then return the tools for a refund.
I was a camp leader for some school kids at a summer camp. They all knew about these two 50c coins that were glued to the floor inside the bus. I tried to pick 'em up and they made fun of me for days.
There used to be a car round our way that had a $50 note sealed on the roof of his sports car underneath the very thick lacquer coat; when it was parked up, everybody and his dog would try to pick it off (I fell for it too :-])
By the time Bill Gates bend down to pick it up and get back up, he probably would've already made in excess of $45000
I think I saw in an interview, Bill Gates was asked if he would pick up a $100 bill (or any money, really), or if it wasn't worth his time. He said he would, and donate it to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
A noble man :') Still can't forgive him for Windows 8.
WIN 8 , post Gates… also why his replacement is sacked
I don't know about sacked as much…
I think he puts alot of effort into seeming like a nice guy, not saying he isn't one. Just seems a little too jehovas witness to me though.
I don't think he really has to say anything to prove he's a nice guy - he's donated literally $28 billion… If that doesn't show that he's a pretty nice guy, I don't know what else would.
I don't think he "puts effort in to seem like a nice guy" - he probably just.. you know.. is a nice guy.
I remember when I was a kid I saw a man unknowingly dropped a $1 coin and it rolled towards me and I picked it up and handed it back to him and he said thank you and offered me a $2 coin and I said "neh" and walked off back with mum. Good logic
A few years ago I was at the cinemas when a lady accidentally dropped a $10 note. I picked it up and went to her and said "excuse me, you dropped something" and she couldn't even look at me and she just said "no, I'm no interested". No idea if she hates talking to strangers or she thought I was gonna sell her something. Or maybe she was doing a Brewsters Millions. Whatever, I got $10 so I'm not complaining.
I once insulted an American because he was having a go at me for not having green beans at KFC (like they do in America). He gave me a $20 tip and said there ya go like in America, I happily pocketed it.
I don't know why KFC Au got rid of the green beans. I used to always get it, much better than mayo coleslaw.
I walk early each morning on the same route and meet the same people each day while out walking. This month we are having a money finding competition. I'm up to $4.10 for the month and am currently in front of the other walkers.
So I'd pick up anything I saw, and show it off to my walking friends. It's very competitive at the moment LOL!!
One of the other walkers says that in the times before ATM cards she found money much more frequently.
man back in primary school i found a hole in the playground with around $5 worth of coins in it….that thing was a treasure chest at the time!.
That was probably some kid's life savings, you jerk!
I voted $1 but past experiences have proven that in the moment, I won't bother picking up any coins lol. Let someone else find it who hopefully might need it more.
Unless I actually need some change. Then I might pick it up.
As a young teenager, I used to find notes now and then. Never again since becoming an adult. Sometimes I'll really keep a keen eye out for stray notes too, just to see if it's even possible to stumble upon any again lol.
I remember finding a $20 note at a quiet train station when I was 14. It was like winning the lottery.
Found $50 outside uni during stuvac, with no one around finders keepers came into play.
It was a great dinner free dinner for everyone!
My Mum has a strange superstition with found money, you have to spend it asap else you will lose your own money…
When I was around 5-6 years old I use to find money all the time in the streets, my parents started calling me a money magnet, I once found a $100 note
HAL - that's so weird lol, my mum has a superstition too, but the total opposite. She says not to pick up any money as it's bad luck. Something about it being a trick (bait) by evil spirits or something whacko like that ahahah.
Basically if you pick it up = you're showing greed = you burn in hell.
(that escalated quickly, huh!)
Years ago I was on a first date and we came across a $50 note in the parking lot. There was nobody within a 20-metre radius. To impress my date I acknowledged that I saw it and just kept walking. I'd like to go back and punch myself in the face.
I guess the date didn't go well? :P
I wonder how many shots of Tequila $50 would have bought her back then.
That was definitely before you came to OzBargain
You saw the note and kept walking? What sort of logic is that? You could've bribed her with the 50$ later ;)
Plus for punching yourself in the face, I bet your date thought you were an idiot :-\
The $20 note slipped out of my loss pocket. I think I found my guy.
Find a penny pick it up
All the day you'll have good luck
Find a penny let it lay
Bad luck you'll have all day
Give a penny to a friend
Then your luck will never end
A penny for a lucky friend, though
That was 48 years ago
Today I think that you could say
Find a penny, meh, ok
a penny a day
keeps you on ozbargain all day
I came back 2 days later, and thought, hey how come you got a +vote, and I didn't.
Then I saw who voted you - lol
on monday I found a $50 note outside my work. 3 seconds later a woman came rushing down the steps looking at the ground. I handed it back to her, not before asking "if it is your $50 note then what is the serial number?"
Yeah, that was me. I saw you pick it up and was just looking for any more.
Chuffed you handed me yours lol
depends on the situation to be honest, I saw a 50 cent coin in a vending machine at flinders st station…didn't really wanna touch it, but also thought it would make some hobo happy for a bit. If it wasn't mine or for someone who dropped theirs, i'd say 20 cent coin as i've rolled a few 5 and 10 cent coins down escalators at train stations in melbourne loop system in my time and always got a laugh from how people had no problem picking up random 5 and 10 cent coins that magically appeared
I would stop and pick up a gold coin cause their generally easier to spot so $1,but if I were being really honest with my inner cheapo skate self then it's 50c. I have only found a note once when I was little but find that I have eagle eyes, when it comes to spotting coins and small valuable item like earrings or rings, which I have also found. A good place to find loose coins is in the school playground and if all else fails…my kids piggy banks.
Slightly of-topic, but my family once found over $1500 (all in coins) spread over the floor throughout my brother's house. He died in a hang-gliding accident last year, and we were tasked with cleaning his place up. Apparently he'd simply come home, empty his pockets out onto the floor, and get changed to go out somewhere else. Single guy, good job, and lots of disposable income. Beneath the bathroom mirror there was, I kid you not, a pile of whisker shavings about a foot high.
I'm sorry to hear about your brother :(
Sorry about yr brother… But happy that you can look back and remember him with a smile:-)
Hands up who vacuums up 5c coins
makes cleaning the car just that bit more fun
I might bend over for a gold coin
what I do check though is fresh looking cig packets, especially on Friday/sat nights or sunday mornings.
I have found anything from cash (over $100) to drugs to full packs.
I don't actually pick them up, I stand on them and if they don't feel empty I will pick it up.
"I stand on them and if they don't feel empty I will pick it up."
What if one day it's got explosives? You stand on it then next thing you know boom
Quit your job now and become a screenwriter.
Fark! That's gold!
Definitely 5 cents onwards.
Its worth is known only when you are refused service at any supermarkets, fastfood joints that you STILL can not buy an item if you are "only" 5 cents down.
shouldn't it be 10 cents onwards then?
He's saying if someone won't let you off for being 5c short at the register, then 5c still has value.
Spot on lordlike
Meh who uses cash at a supermarket or fast food place anyway? PayPass is faster and more convenient…
5% ING
2.50% ING for most ozbargainers
I wouldn't do it, I'd get my 9yo sister to do it
can't bend over for bitcoins, or can you?
funny story…
My brother & I had commbank money vaults that as it filled would show when it was time to take to the bank (the chest was on a spring, as it filled it would go down and would show catch phrases on the 'slot' outside)
I was a saver, my bro was a crook and when it came to 'repaying' me would take the silver from my box and repay it with copper coins! The result was not only did the loan cost him nothing but he banked more than me as mine was filled with lower domination coins! Crafty beggar!!!
THE MORAL : Just because you have more, if its just more, heaver crap then the next guy who got to spend your cash then your the idiot! You can't eat gold after all…
I see the moral of your story as…when you're young try to sucker your sibblings out of their money and posessions as much and as often as you can,lol. I got my brother to barter his gameboy for 50 chocolate buttons, of which I had a box full of 500 that cost me $5 . Moral of THIS story is "Stupid is, as stupid does"
5 people should have their OzBargain memberships revoked
On the opposite side. I lost (presumed dropped) $100 note in Randwick near The Spot.
My mum had just given it to me for part of the dinner bill (otherwise I would never have a $100 bill, just 50s from the ATM)
Did any of you find it?
My dad did find $100 while taking a corner in the middle of night…. he was driving
Voted 50c. Assumed I was walking.
Then I realised when I'm riding on my bicycle I see coins on the ground all the time and I've never bother to stop. Most of the time is isn't safe to grab money off the middle of the road.
When I'm riding solo I wouldn't even stop for a $5 note but a $10 I probably would, indeed I have stopped to pick up a $20. Although when i'm training with a group I probably wouldn't even stop for a pineapple.
I should definitely start riding my bike more.
Honestly, i don't really carry much coins with me now a days so i don't have this dilemma (CC or key card), but back when i did carry around coins, it all depends on if i needed it.
Say i dropped a $1 when i was paying for something, i would pick it up and use it, but if i was walking about and dropped $1 and i knew about it i don't think i ever bothered.
Basically my mentality is, it all depends on the situation I'm in.
50c because its easiest to pick up.
There was a bar in I used to go to back in England and there was shiny circles on the wooden floor, when it got busy they looked like pound coins, there was always people trying to pick them up (then pretending to do their laces!)
Weird I've had exactly the same experience in London!
as kids, the biggest find on the street wasn't a coin or a note but rather a gold and diamond bracelet at the foot of a pole at the crossing,
of course naturally we pawned the thing for like $150 bucks at the local jeweller and spent the money on the movies, candy and the video arcade… ahhh memories.
I voted 50c, although it would probably depend on the situation. But, one morning this week on a quiet back street, I stopped on my bike to pick up a coke bottle, take the label off for Coke Rewards, and put the bottle in the bin. The label is worth about 50c in a gift card one day. But I doubt I'd have done the same for a 50c coin.
I used to pick up any coin but would now leave silver for kids to find.
A while ago I gave a kid a push start as his battery died at the servo, as I was pushing the car was stopped on a 5 dollar note, we both won that day.
instant karma, I love it.
5 cents, easily.
Only because I've been short 5 cents a few times so I believe it can make all the difference in a purchase.
I made a deal that I would pick up any money I found and I would get to keep it, as long as I gave away the five cent pieces. Now, no matter how embarrassing, I always pick up the 5c, and I always have something to give to beggers, and if they don't want 5c screw them they don't need the money.
50c
1 cent if I could
Buy a lotto ticket with it is what I was told as a youngen. So I always found joy in finding 5 cents. I'm honestly surprised that I am the first to comment the superstition that finding a coin is good luck.
because its not good luck
Because its bad luck? Or because its a superstition? Superstitions aren't provable
because its nothing
Probably because with lotto you're just throwing it away again anyway…
We used to glue $1 coins to the ground at shopping centers. Was a good laugh watching how many people would try to pick them up :-)
Not proud of this but in my poor uni student days I used to look for loose change underneath vending machines.
The Coke Machine at work has a really awkward change slot. Nearly every time I buy a coke I get some extra change the last guy's fingers weren't long enough to get.
Honourable Ned Stark wouldn't do it.